Flashbacks
Flashbacks (also called analepses) are a common storytelling device during which the current narrative shifts to a point in the past, recalling an earlier event or series of events related to the main narrative. Flashbacks are typically used as a means to allow the viewer to see events prior to the beginning of the main narrative (an external flashback) or to revisit prior events in the main narrative (an internal flashback). Person of Interest makes extensive use of both types of flashbacks. They can either depict a specific character’s memory or a series of events which happened in the past and are now crucial to current events. So far, every main character has had a flashback whereas only a few supporting characters have had flashbacks: Carl Elias, Nathan Ingram, Root, Kara Stanton, Hersh and Alicia Corwin. Presentation Usually a flashback is introduced by a timeline that takes the audience back to a specific point in the past. Most episodes with flashbacks have two to four flashback sequences where at least one flashback is accompanied by a timeline. Some of the flashbacks that present relevant background information are presented from the Machine's point of view. In these flashbacks, coloured squares are applied to the characters. Examples: * The Machine recorded the phone call Jessica made to her mother. * The Machine accessed NCS ( National Clandestine Services) Archival Database and retrieved footage of Reese and Stanton on several missions in places including Hungary , New York , Morocco , Ordos , Prague , and Paris . *The Machine read feeds from Iraq and found Carter in a military camp. If the flashback is a character’s memory, it usually revolves around that character only and is mainly told from that character's point of view. If the flashback features background information that is relevant to current events, characters other than the main character can appear and the flashback is told from a neutral point of view. Examples: *Nathan and Alicia meeting in the bar and discuss shipping the Machine. *Nathan creating the Contingency. Reese's flashbacks Reese's flashbacks are mostly personal memories in combination with scenes that occurred earlier in time but relate to a current event. Reese's flashbacks are presented in many ways and supported by a different colour scheme. Flashbacks involving Jessica and other personal experiences are mostly in warmer tones whereas flashbacks revolving around his work with the CIA are usually presented in cold, blue tones. Finch's flashbacks Finch's flashbacks in the first season are mainly providing additional information about the creation of the Machine. In the first season, no personal memories were depicted. The flashbacks are exclusively in cooler blue tones and always introduced by a timeline. Finch's flashbacks in the second season revolve more around personal memories back to when he started to work on the Machine and his history with Grace. The color scheme also changes from slate blue in scenes where he works with the Machine to warmer tones in those scenes where he spends personal time with Grace. Exceptions Most of the flashbacks take place several years before the current timeline. In No Good Deed, Firewall, and Dead Reckoning, a different type of flashback is used. In these episodes, the flashback reverts to an event at an earlier point of time in the same episode. For example, in Firewall, there is a flashback to May 15, 2012. The main events in the episode begin on May 17. Trivia *In Season 1, Reese has 6 flashbacks, Finch has 3, and Carter and Elias each have one. *In Season 2, Reese has 1 flashback, Finch has 6, and Root, Kara Stanton, Hersh, and Nathan Ingram each have one (Ingram and Hersh share theirs with Finch in their respective episodes). *At this point, only Shaw has had a flashback in Season 3. *Many Happy Returns is the episode with the most flashback sequences: 9, and also the only episode that has a flashback inside a flashback (Flashback about Jessica calling Reese in 2010 while Reese is in a flashback in Peter's house in 2011) List of Flashbacks Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Category:Storyline Category:Literary Techniques Category:Lists